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Healthcare professionals' perceptions of pain in infants at risk for neurological impairment.
- Source :
- BMC Pediatrics; 2004, Vol. 4, p23-9, 9p, 4 Charts
- Publication Year :
- 2004
-
Abstract
- Background: To determine whether healthcare professionals perceive the pain of infants differently due to their understanding of that infant's level of risk for neurological impairment. Method: Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU's) at two tertiary pediatric centers. Ninety-five healthcare professionals who practice in the NICU (50 nurses, 19 physicians, 17 respiratory therapists, 9 other) participated. They rated the pain (0-10 scale and 0-6 Faces Pain Scale), distress (0-10), effectiveness of cuddling to relieve pain (0-10) and time to calm without intervention (seconds) for nine video clips of neonates receiving a heel stick. Prior to each rating, they were provided with descriptions that suggested the infant had mild, moderate or severe risk for neurological impairment. Ratings were examined as a function of the level of risk described. Results: Professionals' ratings of pain, distress, and time to calm did not vary significantly with level of risk, but ratings of the effectiveness of cuddling were significantly lower as risk increased [F (2,93) = 4.4, p = .02]. No differences in ratings were found due to participants' age, gender or site of study. Physicians' ratings were significantly lower than nurses' across ratings. Conclusion: Professionals provided with visual information regarding an infants' pain during a procedure did not display the belief that infants' level of risk for neurological impairment affected their pain experience. Professionals' estimates of the effectiveness of a nonpharmacological intervention did differ due to level of risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14712431
- Volume :
- 4
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- BMC Pediatrics
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 29437881
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2431-4-23